Excavating-machine.



No. 717,589. Y PATENTED JAN. 6, 1903. E. A. MATHBRS. EXGAVATING MACHINE.

APPLIATIDN FILED JUNE 21, 1901.

W! TNE SSE S PATEN-TBD JAN. 6, 1903.

E. A. MATHERS.

.BXCAVATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2l. 1901.`

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NO MODEL.

/NE/von A 1 f w/TNESSES.-

No. 717,589. l APATEN'lz'l) JAN. 6, 1903,.

' E. A. MATHE'RLS- l BXGAVATING MACHINE.

APPLIoATIol; FILED JUNI: .21,v 1901'.

a SHEETS-saam a.

Y No MODEL.

'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EZRA A. MATHERS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT 0F COLUMBIA.

EXCAVATI N G -lVlAC H IN E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 717,589, dated January6, 1903.

Application Jfiled June 21,1901.

To @ZZ roh/om it may concern:

Beit known that LEZRA A. MATHERS, a citizen ofthe United States,residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Excavating-Machines, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My said invention consists in an improved construction ofexcavating-machines designed particularly forV cutting throughembankments, hills, dac., in grading for railway, canal, or such likeconstruction, whereby said work can be carried on rapidlyandeconomically, as will bev hereinafter more fully described and claimed.c

Referring toy the accompanying drawings,l which are made a part hereofand on which similar reference characters indicate similar parts, Figure1 is a top or plan viewof a machine embodying mysaid invention; Fig.`2,a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3, a horizontal section lookingdownwardly from the dotted line 3 3 in Fig. 2;'Fig. 4, a detailcrosssection on the dotted line 4 4 in Fig. 1; Fig. 4a, a cross-sectionlooking toward the left from the dotted line 4L 4a in Fig. 1; Fig. 5, adetail section through the front truck on the dotted line 5 5in Fg.`3;Fig. 6, a View, partly in elevation andpartly. in section, looking inthe direction indicated by the arrows from the dotted line 6 6 in Fig.3; Fig. 7, a section through the rear truck on the dottedflinev 7 7 .inFig. 3; Fig. 8, a detail perspective view of the digger-head, an'dFig. 9details showing the manner of'securing the teeth in said head.

In said drawings'the portions marked A represent the main or supportingframe of the machine; B, a frame pivoted thereon, which carries Y theoperating mechanism 5' 0,' an elevator; D, a frame carrying the diggerand operating mechanism, and E said digger.

The frame A is rectangular in form and of i suitable size and strength,being formed of either timber or iron beams and cross-pieces, aspreferred, appropriately secured together and mounted on suitable trucks1 and 2, which are arrangedunder either end thereof f and are of anyappropriate construction for the purpose.

The frame B is also of any appropriate material and construction, beingpivoted on an .upright shaft 3, which passes through a rear seria No.65,409. oit model.)

cross-piece B', and connected to a segmental gear H, secured on theiront end of frame A, by a worm 5 on a shaft 6, journaled in suitablebearings on said frame B and geared by a sprocket and chain to theengine, as will be presently described.

r The elevator C, as shown, is simply an endless-belt carrier on asuitable frame; but, as will be readily understood, in the machine itwill be of a construction more suited to the heavy character of the workfor Vwhich the machine is intended, and it is supported on .the frame Bin any appropriate manner, preferably by being pivoted at its rear endand adjustably supported at its front from the frame D above by means ofchains C. A nose-piece 4 is mounted on the front end of saidelevator-frame, being pointed and adapted to be driven into the worksomewhat and forming an apronA extending back over the` front end of theelevator-apron.

D is a framework of suitable character to carry the track on which thedigger operates and the engine which provides the power. It ispreferably built of steel beams braced with truss-rods and cables, asshown. Its front end runs to a point, while its rear portion is formedwith parallel sides extending back to the rear of the machine, wherethey are connected to the .uprights '7, which are mounted on the frameB. It has a suitable engine 8 mounted thereon, and is provided on itsunder side with a double track 9, extending from its front end to apoint near its rear end.

TheY digger E consists of a head, preferably formed of a section ofI-beam, having teeth e, secured Vthereto by eyebolts e', as shown inFig.'9,"`the Shanks of said teeth being rectan-A gular in form andadapted-,to iit into notches formed in the flanges of said I-beam and`held .securely therein by said eyebolts. Extending back from said headare two poles or rods E', which pass through and are adapted to slide inapertures in' guide-blocks 10, which are mounted on a cross-bar 1l,carried lby a truck 12, whichl is mounted on the double track 9. Anothertruck 13 is mounted on said track near its front, carrying a sheave 14.A sheave 15 is also mounted in an ap propriate housing on a cross-bar,connecting the poles E' a short distance back from the ICO head E. Acable or rope 16 is attached at one end to the housing or frame of truck13, passes down and under said sheave 15, back and over sheave 14, thenunder and over a sheave 17 on the extreme front end of the frame D,back, and is attached'to awindingdrum 18 on a shaft 19, journaled insuitable bearings near the engine. Another cable or rope 20 is attachedto the digger-head E, extends back and over a sheave 21, located onframe D near the rear end of track 9, and is attached to a winding-drum22 on a shaft 23, mounted in suitable bearings on frame D near theengine. Both the shaft 19 and the shaft 23 are geared to be driven fromsaid engine. On the outer end of said shaft 23 is mounted asprocket-wheel 24, adapted to be connected thereto by a clutch, and fromsaid sprocketwheel a sprocketchain 25 runs back to a sprocket-wheel 26on a shaft 27, journaled in bearings on the uprights 7. Said shaft 27also has a sprocket-Wheel on its opposite end, which is connected by asprocket-chain 28 to a sprocket-wheel on the shaft 29, which isjournaled on the top of frame B. Spur-gears 30, mounted on .said shaft29 by suitable clutches, mesh with a bevel gear-wheel 31 on the end ofshaft 3, and said shaft has a Wormgear 32, which engages with aworm-gear 33 on each axle of the truck 1. On the shaft 27 are alsomounted the drums 34, carrying the elevator C. By throwing in theappropriate clutch to connect the proper gear 30 with shaft 29 it willthus be seen that the truck 1 and the machine as awhole can be movedback and forth at will. A sprocket 35 is also mounted on the outer endof shaft 19 and is connected by a sprocket-chain 36 with a sprocket 37on the end of a shaft 38, mounted in suitable bearings on the frame D ata point above the front truck 2. A sprocket-chain 40 connects saidsprocket 39 with a sprocket 41 on the end of shaft 6, which carries theworm 5 on the front end of frame B. By this means the shaft 6 can bedriven, and through said worm 5 and toothed segment 4 the front end ofsaid frame B, carrying the entire machine except the trucks, can beswung laterally, and the machine is thus adapted to work through a largerange. As shown best in Figs. 3 and 5, the front end of said frame B issupported on the frame A or segmental track carried thereby by trucksif, arranged to travel in a groove gin said track.

The machine as a whole being thus adapted to be moved back and forth andits front end swung back and forth in the arc of an circle, its readyand convenient manipulation is provided for. In operation, the machinebeing set as desired, the digger is drawn forward and up by thewinding-drum 18 and cable 16 until it is over the point desired, whenthe drum 18 is released to allow said digger to drop into said work, andthe drum 22 is started to wind up the cable 20, which operates to pullsaid digger and its load back onto the apron B, the load being depositedon the elevator and carried to the point of discharge. The cable 16being then wound up on drum 18, the digger is drawn upto the frame ortruck 13, and said truck will then run out on the track 9 until saiddigger is again above the point where it is desired to operate and theoperation repeated. By having the guideblocks mounted on a truck totravel on the track 9 a wide range of travel of the digger is providedfor, as it can be drawn from one end of the track to the other, ifdesired, as will be readily seen.

The engine is made to drive the proper drum 18 or 22 and the varioussprockets by the shifting of the appropriate clutch es when required aswill be readily understood.

In front of the teeth e of the digger is hinged a scraper S, which isadapted to be let down in front of said teeth when the character of thework makes the scraper more desirable than the prongs, as in soft andsandy banks. This scraper is held up out of the way when notl in use bysuitable catches s, as shown.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an excavating-machine, the combination, of the frame, the diggercomprising a head with digging devices and rearwardlyprojecting armsmounted on said frame, said arms being mounted to slide in suitablesupports on said frame, means for carrying said digger upward andforward and then lowering it into the earth, and then drawingit backtoward the'machine away from the point of loading with the load and thenfreeing it from said load by raising it and again carrying it forward,and the driving mechanism, substantially as set forth.

2. In an excavating-machine, the combination, of the frame, a trackthereon, supports for the digger-arms mounted to travel on said track,the digger with arms projecting back from the head thereof and restingin said supports to slide in relation thereto, and means for forcingsaid digger back and forth and raising and lowering it, substantially asset forth.

3. In an excavating-machine, the combination,of the supportingframe,thehorizontallyswinging frame thereon, a frame carrying a track mounted onsaid swinging frame and extending out beyond its front end, travelingsupports for the digger mounted on said track, said digger comprising ahead with digging devices and arms, said arms being mounted in saidtraveling supports to slide in relation thereto, and the operatingmechanism, substantially as set forth.

4. In an excavating-machine, the combination, of the supporting-frame,an overhanging frame carrying a track, a truck carrying a sheavethereon, winding-drums, an engine for driving them, a second truckmounted on said track-carrying guide-blocks,a digger consisting of ahead with digging devices and having arms projecting through said guide-IIO blocks, and cables or ropes connected to appropriate parts of saiddigger and passing over sheaves and connected with said drums, wherebysaid digger is operated, substantially as set forth.

5. In an excavating-machine, the combination, of the supporting-frame,an overhanging frame supporting a track, a digger mounted to slide hackand forth in supports carried on trucks which are mounted on said track,means for swinging the-front end of said digger up and down, and meansfor operating it back and forth, substantially as set forth.

6. In an excavating-machine, the combination, ofthe supporting-framemounted on suitable trucks, the swinging frame, pivoted at its rear endto the rear truck and mounted at its front end to travel on asuitabletrack, said track supported on the main frame and having a rack, a Wormon said swinging frame adapted to engage said rack, gearing connectingsaid worm with driving power, an elevator for carrying away thematerial, an overhanging frame, and a digger mounted on said overhangngframe to move up and down and back and forth, substantially as setforth.

7. In an excavating-machine, the combination, of the supporting-frame,the horizontallyswinging frame mounted thereon, the overhangng framemounted on said swinging frame, a track thereon, sliding supports onsaid track, -thc digger mounted to travel back and forth on said slidingsupports and constructed and arranged to excavate on its downward andinward movement, drums and Y connections for operating said digger backand forth and up and down, and means for driving the mechanismssupported on the machine` substantially as set forth.

8. In an excavating-machine, the combination, of The frame, acarrying-away elevator the front end of which is arranged in line withthe'work of the digger, and said digger nionnted to be driven into theWork and then front of said-elevator, substantially as Set v forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, at Washington,District of Columbia, this 11th day of June, A. D. 1901.

EZRA A. MATHERS. [L S.]

l/Vitnesses:

CHAs. E. RIoRnoN, E. W. BRADFORD.

